Deputies flood auditorium as activists call for police reform

Sheriff’s deputies outnumbered the people who spoke Monday at the Knox County Commission meeting about 7-to-1, flooding the public auditorium and adjacent space with about 50 uniformed deputies.

They lined the walls of the assembly room and stood watch in the lobby of the City-County Building in downtown Knoxville. One group of deputies moved from the edges of the room to place themselves between the people and commissioners as the meeting began, standing there throughout the proceeding.

The law enforcement surge was in reaction to a noisy but peaceful protest last week that briefly disrupted a commission meeting, and anticipation of more action by activists demanding criminal justice reform following the fatal shooting by a Knoxville police officer of teenager Anthony Thompson Jr. on April 12.

Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen ruled the shooting justified last week, sparking demonstrations throughout the weekend in downtown and West Knoxville.

Commission Chair Larsen Jay said he knew of “social media posts about ‘shutting down’ County Commission by the same people who were removed from last week’s meeting,” but pointed out he does not control security at public meetings.

Sheriff’s Capt. Aaron Yarnell told the Knoxville News Sentinel, “We’re just trying to make things as safe as possible.”

People who spoke at the meeting, including some who were among the seven arrested at last week’s meeting, questioned the number of deputies in the space, “as we are peaceful demonstrators exercising our First Amendment rights,” said the Rev. Calvin Skinner during the public forum.

Commissioner Dasha Lundy backed those who attended the meeting to push for criminal justice reform.

“I totally support you all,” she said, fighting back tears as she took in the number of deputies in the room. “These [community members] are here because we’re tired, we’re frustrated and we’ve been ignored.”

One speaker, Summer Awad, pointed out the repeated shows of force by the sheriff’s office at peaceful events, singling out the continued use of a helicopter that has tracked demonstrators for hours over the past week.

“If that’s not a waste of taxpayer dollars for a peaceful protest, then I don’t know what is,” she said.

Sheriff Tom Spangler, meanwhile, issued a statement Monday night saying he “would like to publicly thank each one of our deputies, detectives and corrections officers who helped ensure tonight’s County Commission meeting was a safe and peaceful meeting. Many of them stayed over or came in early so no calls for service would be neglected. Their dedication to protecting and serving is commendable.”

Constance Every, who was arrested with Skinner and five others protesting at the commissioners’ work session last week, made it clear activists are not going anywhere.

SELF-DEFENSE RULING

Every and Skinner, both Knoxville activists, were the first to approach the stage to make sure community members had an opportunity to speak.

Speakers showed up at Monday’s meeting to address a lack of outreach to Black communities by public officials since Thompson was killed, Every said.

Last week’s demonstration at the commission meeting and rallies elsewhere were called to demand the release of bodycam video from the four officers involved in the chaotic confrontation in an Austin-East Magnet High School bathroom.

Allen said she would not release the video before her investigation was completed and she had shown the footage to Thompson’s family.

She released it last week at an hourslong press conference that included a detailed walkthrough of some of the evidence reviewed by prosecutors, including when police found Thompson in a bathroom. He had what appeared to be a gun in the front pocket of his zip-up hoodie, and when officers tried to grab for it, the weapon discharged into a nearby trash can.

Allen announced at the press conference she would not charge any of the officers involved, including Jonathon Clabough, who fired two shots, striking and killing Thompson with one and wounding fellow officer Adam Willson with the other.

Speakers at Monday’s public forum criticized officers’ decision to go into the bathroom in the first place and said what Allen has called self-defense is actually murder. They called for the officers to be charged and for the end of qualified immunity, which gives powerful protection from lawsuits for police who are acting on duty.